Automation for the evaluation of blood basophilia

We report here the first results of our experience in evaluating the blood basophils count through the "H 6000" automatic counter. An artefact is described through which this count may falsely be increased. The value of basophil cells rates in some diseases is being discussed.     

Circulatory basophilia in guinea pigs with delayed-type hypersensitivity

Circulatory basophilia could be induced in inbred guinea pigs systematically immunized with ovalbumin and consequently provoked repeatedly with dissolved ovalbumin applied onto the mucosa of the nares or the outer eye. The degree of the increase in circulatory basophil granulocytes depended on the adjuvant used and was significantly more pronounced after immunization with Freund's complete adjuvant than with alhydrogel (A1(OH)3). The degree of basophilia was also dependent on the animal strain, but different in two strains selected for high-asthma trait.     

Graft failure in allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation for non-malignant disorders: basics and perspectives

 Graft failure is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, in particular for non-malignant disorders. Risk factors include HLA disparity, the use of T cell-depleted transplants, low doses of transplanted haematopoietic stem cells, viral infections, drug toxicity, and alloimmunisation due to inappropriate blood transfusions prior to transplantation. In patients at high risk for graft failure preventative strategies may include in vivo depletion of functioning host T cells and intensification of the post-transplant immunosuppressive treatment. Novel methods, such as depletion of only subsets of T cells or gene therapeutic graft engineering, may also prove to be useful in the non-malignant setting. The development of early mixed chimerism predisposes to subsequent graft failure, whereas specifically late mixed chimerism tends to be stable. In order to detect mixed chimerism as early as possible, chimerism studies should be performed close-meshed, especially in newly transplanted patients. In patients developing mixed chimerism, analysis of the T cell chimerism may reveal additional information of importance when making the appropriate therapeutic decision. Therapeutic options include modification of the immunosuppressive treatment, haematopoietic growth factors, donor lymphocyte infusions, application of booster doses of donor haematopoietic stem cells and second transplantation. Received: 30 July 2002 / Accepted: 15 January 2003     

The effect of methylation on basophilia (metachromasia)

Summary A study was made of the effect of methylation on the chromotropic properties of certain structural elements of the intestinal wall (rabbit appendix) under normal conditions and after previous sulfation. It was found that the cause of the reversibility of natural basophilia due to the presence in the substrate of carboxyl radicals and sulfuric acid polyesters (acid mucopolysaccharides of the intestinal epithelium) was the mechanism of ester linkage formation between the latter and the methyl group. The depression of basophilia occurring after sulfation (and connected with the formation of artificially produced sulfur esters) was reversible and in the nature of a methanolytic desulfation. We discussed the significance of these tests in connection with histological differentiation.(Presented by Active Member AMN SSSR G. V. Vygodchikov) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 57, No. 5 pp. 116–119, May, 1964     

Oestrogen-deficiency inducing haematopoiesis dysfunction via reduction in haematopoietic stem cells and haematopoietic growth factors in rats

Haematopoiesis is a self-renewing and multi-directional differentiation process of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which is modulated very precisely by the haematopoietic microenvironment in bone marrow. Our previous study has demonstrated that oestrogen-deficiency leads to haematopoiesis dysfunction which manifests as a decrease in haematopoietic tissues and an increase in adipose tissues in bone marrow. However, the mechanism involved in the oestrogen-deficiency effects on haematopoiesis dysfunction is not completely understood. In this study, we established an oestrogen-deficiency rat model by ovariectomy (OVX group). Haematopoiesis was evaluated at the 12th, 16th, 20th, 24th and 28th weeks after operation in the OVX group and its control (Sham group) by pathological examination; the number and function of HSCs were evaluated by flow cytometry analysis and colony-forming assay respectively. Haematopoietic growth factors levels including granulocyte/macrophage-colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) were examined by ELISA kits at different time points. We found that in the OVX group, haematopoiesis dysfunction in bone marrow was observed (P < 0.05) from the 12th week when compared with the Sham group, and extramedullary haematopoiesis began to appear in the liver and spleen from the 16th week. The number of HSCs and colony-forming units-granulocyte/macrophage (CFUs-GM) in bone marrow was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) from the 20th and 16th week respectively. Furthermore, GM-CSF, SCF and IL-3 in the OVX group decreased significantly (P < 0.05) since the 12th, 16th and 24th week respectively. Taken together, these results suggested that oestrogen is required for normal haematopoiesis. Oestrogen-deficiency inducing haematopoiesis dysfunction may be via reduction in HSCs and haematopoietic growth factors at a late stage.     

Complications of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) following myeloablative conventional conditioning regimen is associated with a higher incidence of transplant-related morbidity and mortality, limiting its applicability to younger patients without significant co-morbidities. The morbidity and mortality of HSCT are related closely to relapse of malignancy, conditioning-related toxicities, infection, and donor–recipient human leucocyte antigen (HLA) disparity. Disparities at minor histocompatibility antigens are thought to be responsible for acute graft-versus-host disease in patients receiving HSCT from a HLA-matched donor. Serious complications tend to erupt within specified periods of immunologic reconstitution after bone marrow grafting. Because their innate and acquired immune systems are especially vulnerable, HSCT recipients often have infectious and noninfectious complications. This article reviews the major complications of HSCT.     

An autopsy case of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS): diagnostic problems between MDS and the other haematopoietic disorders including acute myelofibrosis

We report an autopsy case of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) in a 35-year-old male, who presented with pancytopenia and bleedings. Bone marrow specimens disclosed myelofibrosis and hypercellular marrow with more than 60% atypical erythroblasts in the bone marrow cells. Type I or type II blasts were less than 10% of the peripheral blood and bone marrow cells during the clinical course. At autopsy, infiltration by myeloid and erythroid cells and megakaryocytes was noted in the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. According to the FAB classification, this case might be classified into refractory anemia with excess of blasts (RAEB) or RAEB in transformation. However, the remarkable neoplastic proliferation of three haematopoietic cell lines also indicates acute myeloproliferative disorder such as acute myelofibrosis or acute panmyelosis.     

Commitment of decidual haematopoietic progenitor cells in first trimester pregnancy

PROBLEM The aim of this study was to investigate the phenotype and commitment of decidual haematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in healthy pregnant women and in women with early miscarriage. METHOD OF STUDY Peripheral blood and decidual tissue from healthy and pathological pregnant women were examined for HPCs and lymphoid progenitors using flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS Compared with peripheral blood, we found a significant increase in decidual HPCs in both healthy pregnant women and women with spontaneous abortion. T/NK, natural killer (NK), gamma-delta and NKT cell progenitors were identified in all peripheral blood and decidual samples. In pathologic pregnant women, the ratios of decidual T/NK and NK cell progenitors were significantly increased compared with healthy pregnant controls. CONCLUSION We demonstrated decidual cells with haematopoietic progenitor cell phenotype in human decidua. Increased levels of NK progenitors in the decidua of women with early spontaneous abortion suggest a dysregulation of this pathway that may contribute to pregnancy failure.